What a month!

Where do I even start?

Luke is here and doing great! It's been the most wonderful adventure and we couldn't be happier.

I was induced on April 25. (apparently, it often happens that women who have pre term labor shut down and don't go into labor alone after being on all those meds...) We started pitocin at about 7:30 am. By about noon, I was on the highest dose they will give and was STILL only in false labor. Oh my contractions were regular and in a good pattern....but they were doing NOTHING! My nurse told me that it probably wouldn't work and unless I had a c section, I was probably not going to have my baby that day. I was devastated to say the least.

Luckily, my doc came in at 2:30 to check me...I was still 3 cm dialated but 90% effaced and at a -2 station...so he broke my water. Literally a minute later labor started. I was in active strong labor within half an hour. And then I got stupid. I was trying to have the baby without any pain killers. What I didn't think about was that this was not a natural labor. By 5:00 I was dying. Luckily I had a great support system set up. My mom and best friend really helped me breath through my contractions. What we didn't know was that I was already in transition.

I got my epidural at 6:00 ( God bless the person who invented that gem). As soon as it was in, I passed out. I woke up at about 7:00 feeling weird. I had no pain but just felt funky. My doc came in and I told him how I felt so he checked me. Through a very thick fog, I heard him say "Wow. He's right there! It's time to push!"

We started pushing at 7:30 and Luke was born at 7:49! It was soooo easy! I thought I was going to have trouble pushing because of the epidural...but LUke just slipped on out! He weighed 6 lbs 8 oz (apparently the ultra sounds were wrong in estimating his weight) and was 18 inches long. He has my red hair!!!!

Our recovery went very well. Straight out of recovery I ate a large burger and fries! No more nausea!!!!!!! The hyperemesis was gone the instant I gave birth. I haven't taken any meds (besides ibuprofin) since! No phenergan, no zofran, no terbutaline, no magnesium!!! Nothing!!! I had a second degree tear that had to be stitched up but it hasn't even hurt.

Luke is doing great. He already weighs 8 lbs now and is 20 inches long!! He already has his one month check up next week. We weren't able to be successful at breast feeding, so he is on formula. But he doesn't have any colic issues and is a very calm baby (for the most part!) He loves the night life (I'm going on little sleep here) and is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. He truely is a miracle. It took years just to conceive him. Then we suffered through a horrific sickness that could have really hurt us both. And then, just when we were almost in the clear, I go into preterm labor and Luke almost spends the first few weeks of his life in the NICU. But here we are, healthy and happy. ANd life couldn't be better.

I have my first post natal appointment tomorrow. I'm sure we'll just fly in and out.

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and prayers!!!